When Lincoln celebrated the grand opening of its new design studio, the Detroit luxury automaker invited a group of “taste makers and design leaders” — including me — to take part in a tour of the facility.
As a brand identity designer in the hospitality industry, I am often in the “hot” seat when making presentations to prospective and long-time clients. My trip to Motor City provided a rare opportunity to sit back and enjoy the ride. I was delighted to let someone else do the driving while I observed and absorbed the good work of others.
It was fascinating to tour the Lincoln design center, the first dedicated studio for the luxury brand since the 1970s. We were introduced to the process that transformed early paper sketches into 3D clay models of the new MKZ line of vehicles. We also listened to panel discussions and a talk by the lead colorist who revealed how palettes, including interior trim hues, were chosen.
One of my favorite events was being allowed to actually carve into the body of the clay auto model. It was a tactile experience, to feel the physical shape alter. Of course it was to be destroyed after the event, the real auto already exists.
I was particularly inspired by Soo Kang, chief interior designer for the Lincoln brand. She was so passionate about her styling of the interior. Her assortment of leather stitches, each of which spoke to a very different identity, was demonstrated by layering strips of masking tape in organic sweeps of expression and then pressing them into the clay, later smoothing them out to show us one after the other. Her visionary concept of the push-button center console is elegant and beautiful. The powerful sleek curves clearly reflect the calla lily and manta ray which were studied using biomimicry, or the practice of examining nature to create something man-made in the Lincoln 2013 MKZ.
All of this was familiar to me as it is similar to our process of a strategy or idea being manifested into an actual hotel lobby or brochure or website. it is always the attention to detail and integrity of execution that sets and raises a luxury product to a higher level.
(By the way, in 1987 Soo earned a design diploma from the Cleveland Institute of Art and is a classically trained harpist. Amazing that the auto “industry” recruited an artist to help make their product more stylish and humane.)
After meeting Lincoln Design Director Max Wolff, who said his luxury automobile may be unique because it was “designed as a whole,” I realized what impressed me most was the openness of the entire tour. It was truly celebratory. Nothing was held back. While reaching out to a younger audience, Lincoln also seemed to be embracing a fresh way of conversing with consumers. It was classy and engaging; an entertainment with substance.
James D. Farley, Jr., Ford Motor Company Group Vice President, told our group that he believed in the MKZ luxury design and the Lincoln Brand strategy. He said, “I would rather be loved by a few than liked by a lot. I wish him and Lincoln every success.
